Fennel Seed Syrup

Makes 2 cups of syrup

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar
1½ cups water
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Cool and strain.

Ingredients

3 ounces bourbon
½ ounce lemon juice
1 ounce cinnamon stick black pepper syrup (recipe follows)
1 ounce sweet cinnamon vinegar (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon fig compote (recipe follows)

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into an old fashioned martini glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

Cinnamon Black Pepper Syrup

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
2 cinnamon sticks, smashed

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Take off heat and let stand for 15 minutes, strain.

Sweet Cinnamon Vinegar

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cinnamon stick, smashed
½ cup dark brown sugar

Directions

Place the apple cider vinegar and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a rolling low boil and let reduce by half. Add the brown sugar and stir well. Bring to a boil again and then again reduce heat but this time to a slow simmer. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick. Take off heat and let stand to cool for 5-10 minutes and then strain. Store in the refrigerator for up to five weeks.

Fig Compote

Makes 2 cups compote

Ingredients

1 pound fresh black figs, ripe & sweet, de-stemmed & chopped
1 cup simple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped fine (optional)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring often for about 1 hour. Remove from heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Ingredients

1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce fennel seed syrup (recipe follows)
Cava
Cinnamon dusting

Directions

Place one ounce of the orange juice and one ounce of the fennel seed syrup in a champagne glass and fill with cava. Garnish with a dusting of freshly grated cinnamon.

Fennel Seed Syrup

Makes 2 cups of syrup

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar
1½ cups water
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Cool and strain.

Ingredients

For the dough:

5 cups all purpose flour
¹/₂ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 packages active dry yeast
¹/₂ cup water, hot
¹/₂ cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
Butter
Ginger-Apple Filling (recipe follows)
Nutmeg Plum Icing (recipe follows)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, and ground ginger. In another bowl combine the yeast and the hot water, mixing well. Let stand to get frothy a few minutes and then add the a little of the dry mixture, the yeast mixture and the milk and the eggs in a mixer and begin to mix, adding a little at a time of the dry mixture until it is done and a soft dough is formed. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll each portion into a 12 x 8 inch rectagnle about ¹/₂ inch thick. Spread the ginger apple filling evenly over each rectangle. Beginning at one of the rectangles, roll it up tightly like a jelly roll, making sure to pinch the seams to seal. Cut each roll into 12 pieces and place rolls on a greased baking sheet (butter). Cover and let rise in a warm draft free location until double in size or about 45 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 375°F. After the rolls have doubled in size, place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until a stick inserted comes out clean. Place the Nutmeg Plum Glaze over the hot rolls and let cool.

Ginger-Apple Filling

Ingredients

2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped fine
1 teaspoon nutmeg
³/₄ cup sugar
¹/₂ stick butter
2 tablespoons flour

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook on medium low until thick about 3 minutes. Set aside and cool.

Nutmeg Plum Glaze

Ingredients

¹/₄ cup plum syrup, warmed
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
A few tablespoons hot water as needed

Directions

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix. Add hot water until thick and smooth like a paste.

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
¹/₄ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1 ripe plum, deseeded and chopped
1 bottle sparkling rose

Directions

Combine the rosemary leaves, sugar, water, cinnamon stick and plums in a medium saucepan, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and allow to cool. Blend until smooth and pour through a fine mesh strainer. Chill. Place about 1-2 ounces of the chilled syrup in the bottom of a champagne glass and fill with sparkling rose and stir.
Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cinnamon.

4 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk, scalded and skimmed
¹/₂ cup granulated sugar
¹/₃ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2¹/₂ tablespoon cinnamon
¹/₃ cup butter, softened

Icing:

8 tablespoons butter, softened (1 stick)
1¹/₂ cups confectioners’ sugar
¹/₄ cup cream cheese
¹/₂ tablespoon vanilla extract
¹/₈ teaspoon salt

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in warm milk and set aside for 5 minutes to proof (foam). Combine sugar, butter, eggs and salt. Stir in flour and yeast mixture. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Sprinkle lightly with flour, as needed, to keep dough from sticking  (dough should be slightly sticky). Add as little flour as possible; the more flour that is added, the heavier the bread will be, and the goal is to have very light bread, so if the dough is sticking rub a little oil on your hands. Place in a lightly greased bowl and turn once to grease top. Cover, let rise in a warm place free from draft about one hour or until dough has nearly doubled in size. Punch down, and roll the dough on a clean surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll out to a rectangle shape until it is approximately 21 inches long and 16 inches wide by ¹/₄” thick. If dough begins to resist, stop working and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. While oven is preheating, mix ingredients for filling. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting from the long side, begin rolling the dough down to the bottom edge, jelly roll style. Cut the rolled dough into 1³/₄” slices and place and place into a lightly greased baking pan, allowing about 1 inch space between each.
Put the rolls into a warm place and allow to rise again until nearly double in size (approximately 30 minutes). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. While the rolls are baking, mix ingredients for icing.
Beat well with a rotary mixer until light and fluffy.
When the rolls are done, drizzle generously with the icing while still warm.

Recipe property of Shawona Jones.

Ingredients

2 ounces apple pie syrup (recipe follows)
Prosecco

Directions

Place about 2 ounces of the apple pie syrup in a champagne flute (less for less sweet) and fill with Prosecco, garnish with a bit of grated fresh cinnamon, stir and enjoy!

Apple Pie Syrup

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider
1 cup sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir. Heat to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until mixture is thick. Set the cinnamon sticks aside. Allow to cool.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
1 cup apricots, chopped fine
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups apricot syrup (recipe follows)
1 package whole-wheat Phyllo pastry (white can be substituted)
1 stick butter, unsalted and melted

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, mix the filling mixture ingredients (walnuts, apricots, and sugar) until well combined and set aside. Butter a large baking sheet making sure to get the corners and sides as well. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out. Place two sheets of dough on the pan and brush with melted butter thoroughly. Sprinkle a later of the nut mixture atop the sheets and repeat the layers creating a total of between 5-8 layers. With a sharp small knife, cut the pastry in diamond or square shapes carefully, making sure to get all the way to the bottom of the pan. Place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. While the baklava is baking, make the syrup by combining apricots, sugar, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon and place on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes and add honey and vanilla and simmer another few minutes. Keep warm and spoon over baklava (when it first comes out of the oven), making sure the baklava is soaked fully.

Let baklava set for about 30 minutes before serving.

Apricot Syrup

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

½ cup apricot puree
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Combine apricot puree, sugar, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium sauce pan and place on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes and add honey and vanilla and simmer another few minutes.

Ingredients

Directions

Heat oil and fry paneer cubes till they turn golden brown. Set aside. In a separate pot, heat ghee, cumin seeds, until they are aromatic, turn a slight brown color and sputter. Add chopped onions, ginger, chilies and garlic and cook until onions soften.Add tomato puree, salt, sugar, and cook till the tomatoes soften till fat separates. Then add garam masala, chili powder, turmeric powder coriander powder, cumin powder, and kasoori methi. Cook for another few minutes to release spice flavors. Add the water and stir it in, using your discretion depending on how dry the dish is. If you added too much water, just let it simmer away until much of it evaporates – you want your tomatoes soft anyway. Add the peas. Cook just until the peas are tender. Pour in the cream, mix, and add the paneer and let simmer on medium heat for the paneer to absorb the flavors.

*Recipes Property of Palak Patel

Ingredients

½ cup adzuki beans, cooked very soft
¼ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon, freshly grated
1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated

Directions